Maternity blouse with interchangeable front panels



Jan. 7, 1954 R. E. PREVlDl ETAL 3,116,491

MATERNITY BLOUSE WITH INTERCI-IANGEABLE' FRONT PANELS Filed Nov. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS RICHARDEPREVI DI ,MARlAA-PREVIDI 1964 R. E. PREVlDl ETAL 3,116,491

MATERNITY BLOUSE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE FRONT PANELS Filed NOV. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ICHARD E-PREVIDI ARIAA'PREVIDI United States Patent 3,116,491 MATERNITY BLOUSE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE FRONT PANELS Richard E. Previdi and Maria A. Previrli, both of 260 Eagle Sh, Englewood, NJ. Filed Nov. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 238,513 2 lairns. (Cl. 2-106) This invention relates in general to ladies wearing apparel and more particularly concerns a maternity blouse.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a ladys maternity blouse having detachable front and back panels, in order to provide the wearer with means for replacing front or back panels with others of different sizes as different requirements of maternity wear arise.

A further object is to provide a maternity blouse as described with means for changing the girth of the blouse by quick detachable fastening means.

Another object is to provide a blouse having plural parts which can be individually removed and laundered.

Still another object is to provide a blouse as described in which individual panels can be removed for changing color schemes of the blouse at will.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a blouse embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the blouse, partially open.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of two front panels of the blouse.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a rear panel of the blouse.

FIG. 6 is a rear view similar to FIG. 5 of another rear panel.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2, in which the panel of FIG. 6 is shown as part of the blouse.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a blouse 10 including a flaring front section 12 including two front panels 14, 16 and a flaring rear section 18 defined by a single panel 2t). Panel 14 has a straight inner edge 22 which overlays straight inner edge 24 of panel 16. At edge 22 is a series of buttonholes 26 which engage buttons 28 attached by thread 21 to edge 24 of panel 16. Along the outer edge 23 of panel 14 is a series of snap fastener elements 30. These are preferably female elements which are open to the rear of the panel 14 as clearly shown in FIG. 4. Panel 16 has a similar series of female snap fastener elements 32 at its outer edge 27 opening to the rear of the panel. The upper outer edge portions 23 and 27 of the front panels are curved inwardly to form front parts of armholes of the blouse. The panels 14, 16 have upper narrow extensions 33 33' on which are spaced female snap fastener elements 35 35' facing rearwardly. Upper ends 36 36 of the panels 14, 16 are curved to define portions of the front portions of the neckline of the blouse. Bottom end 3%, 39* are longer than the upper ends of the panels.

The rear panel 20, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, has outwardly and downwardly flaring outer edges 40, 41. At these edges are lines of male snap fastener elements 42, 42 which face rearwardly and detachably engage with the female snap fasteners 30, 32, respectively, to complete the rather conical, flaring tubular form of the blouse. Upper edge portion 40' is curved inwardly to form the rear part of one armhole of the blouse. Upper edge portion 41 is curved inwardly to form the rear part 'ice of the other armhole of the blouse. The rear panel has upper extensions 44*, 44 carrying spaced male snap fastener elements 45 45 which engage the female fastener elements 35*, 35 carried by the front panels. The upper edge 46 of the rear panel is curved downwardly to form the rear portion of the neckline of the garment. Bottom 49 of the panel is longer than the top.

The garment has no sleeves or collar. It is intended for use as a blouse for indoor or outdoor wear. In normal wear the garment will be opened by disengaging the front buttons from the buttonholes to separate the front panels. When the wearer desires to replace any one or two of the panels, the snap fasteners holding the panels together will be quickly disengaged and a replacement panel of the same or different size can be quickly attached to the remaining panels.

Instead of snap fasteners, slide fasteners may be provided at the side edges of the panels. These slide fasteners may be arranged to close by sliding up or down and open by sliding down or up respectively.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another form of the invention in which rear panel 20 of blouse 1t) has additional lines of snap fastener elements 43 43 are provided near the snap fastener elements 42*, 42' respectively. By engaging elements 43*, 43 with elements 36, 32, respectively, of the front panels M, 16, the girth of the garment will be somewhat reduced. If the girth of the garment is to be increased, then elements 42 42 will be engaged with elements 30, 32. If a still further reduction or increase in girth is to be effected, then either the rear or front panels may be replaced by others of different width to effect the required change in girth.

The several panels are preferably made of washable cloth material. They can be made up in plain or attractively printed or otherwise decorated fabrics. Instead of each panel being made of one piece of cloth, two or more pieces may be joined together by sewn seams.

The several panels can be made somewhat rectangular in the smaller sizes and more flaring in the larger sizes. The panels in the larger sizes will then be wider at the bottom than at the top, to conform more readily to maternity figures.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A maternity blouse comprising a flaring, tubular body having front and rear sections, said front section in cluding two generally rectangular front panels, each of said panels having lateral inner and outer edges, an upper edge and a lower edge, quick detachable fastener means on the outer edges of each of said panels, said outer edges having upper portions defining portions of armholes of said body, the upper edge of each panel defining a portion of a neckline of said body, and other quick detachable fastener means on the inner edges of the panels for de tachably engaging the inner edges of the panels together; said rear section having a single generally rectangular rear panel with opposing outside edges, and opposing top and bottom edges, the outside edges having upper portions defining other portions of the armholes of said body, the top edge of the rear section defining another portion of the neckline of said body, and further quick detachable means along the outside edges of the rear panel for detachably engaging the fastener means on the outer edges respectively of the front panels, each of the front panels having an upper narrow extension, fastener means at the ends of the narrow extensions, said rear section having other upper narrow extensions with other fastener means thereon detachably engageable with the fastener means at the ends of the narrow extensions of the front panels, whereby said sections are detachably secured together for selective replacement of any one of the panels by a different panel, the upper portions of the outer edges of the front panel and the upper portions of the outside edges of the rear panel being curved so that the armholes of said body are round, the fastener means on the outer edges of the front panels and the fastener means on the outside edges of the rear panel being mating snap fastener elements, the bottom edges of the rear panel being longer than the top edges so that the rear panel has a flaring form, the top edges of the front and rear panels and inner side edges of the panel extensions being curved to define a continuous curved neckline, the lower edges of the front panels being longer than the upper edges thereof, so that the entire body is wider at the bottom thereof than at the neckline.

2. A maternity blouse comprising a flaring, tubular body having front and rear sections, said front section including two generally rectangular front panels, each of said panels having lateral inner and outer edges, an upper edge and a lower edge, quick detachable fastener means on the outer edges of each of said panels, said outer edges having upper portions defining portions of armholes of said body, the upper edge of each panel defining a portion of a neckline of said body, and other quick detachable fastener means on the inner edges of the panels for detachably engaging the inner edges of the panels together; said rear section having a single generally rectangular rear panel with opposing outside edges, and opposing top and bottom edges, the outside edges having upper portions defining other portions of the armholes of said body, the top edge of the rear section defining another portion of the neckline of said body, and further quick detachable means along the outside edges of the rear panel for detachably engaging the fastener means on the outer edges respectively of the front panels, each of the front panels having an upper narrow extension, fastener means at the ends of the narrow extensions, said rear section having other upper narrow extensions with other fastener means thereon detachably engageable with the fastener means at the ends of the narrow extensions of the front panels, whereby said sections are detachably secured together for selective replacement of any one of the panels by a different panel, and still other fastener means on the rear panel adjacent said further fastener means at the outside edges of the rear panel for selective engagement with the fastener means on the outer edges of the front panels to adjust the girth of said body, the fastener means on the outer edges of the rear panel and the fastener means on the outer edges of the front panels being all mating snap fastener elements, the bottom edges of the rear panel being longer than the top edges so that the rear panel has a fiaring form, the top edges of the front and rear panels and inner side edges of the panel extensions being curved to define a continuous curved neckline, the lower edges of the front panels being longer than the upper edges thereof, so that the entire body is wider at the bottom thereof than at the neckline.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,159 Mohler Sept. 28, 1942 2,388,926 Mirsky Nov. 13, 1945 2,661,475 Auslender Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 710,953 Great Britain June 23, 1954 

1. A MATERNITY BLOUSE COMPRISING A FLARING, TUBULAR BODY HAVING FRONT AND REAR SECTIONS, SAID FRONT SECTION INCLUDING TWO GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FRONT PANELS, EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING LATERAL INNER AND OUTER EDGES, AN UPPER EDGE AND A LOWER EDGE, QUICK DETACHABLE FASTENER MEANS ON THE OUTER EDGES OF EACH SAID PANELS, SAID OUTER EDGES HAVING UPPER PORTIONS DEFINING PORTIONS OF ARMHOLES OF SAID BODY, THE UPPER EDGE OF EACH PANEL DEFINING A PORTION OF A NECKLINE OF SAID BODY, AND OTHER QUICK DETACHABLE FASTENER MEANS ON THE INNER EDGES OF THE PANELS FOR DETACHABLY ENGAGING THE INNER EDGES OF THE PANELS TOGETHER; SAID REAR SECTION HAVING A SINGLE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR REAR PANEL WITH OPPOSING OUTSIDE EDGES, AND OPPOSING TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, THE OUTSIDE EDGES HAVING UPPER PORTIONS DEFINING OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ARMHOLES OF SAID BODY, THE TOP EDGE OF THE REAR SECTION DEFINING ANOTHER PORTION OF THE NECKLINE OF SAID BODY, AND FURTHER QUICK DETACHABLE MEANS ALONG THE OUTSIDE EDGES OF THE REAR PANEL FOR DETACHABLY ENGAGING THE FASTENER MEANS ON THE OUTER EDGES RESPECTIVELY OF THE FRONT PANELS, EACH OF THE FRONT PANELS HAVING AN UPPER NARROW EXTENSION, FASTENER MEANS AT THE ENDS OF THE NARROW EXTENSIONS, SAID REAR SECTION HAVING OTHER UPPER NARROW EXTENSIONS WITH OTHER FASTENER MEANS THEREON DETACHABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FASTENER MEANS AT THE ENDS OF THE NARROW EXTENSIONS OF THE FRONT PANELS, WHEREBY SAID SECTIONS ARE DETACHABLY SECURED TOGETHER FOR SELECTIVE REPLACEMENT OF ANY OF THE PANELS BY A DIFFERENT PANEL, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE OUTER EDGES OF THE FRONT PANEL AND THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE OUTSIDE EDGES OF THE REAR PANEL BEING CURVED SO THAT THE ARMHOLES OF SAID BODY ARE ROUND, THE FASTENER MEANS ON THE OUTER EDGES OF THE FRONT PANELS AND THE FASTENER MEANS ON THE OUTSIDE EDGES OF THE REAR PANEL BEING MATING SNAP FASTENER ELEMENTS, THE BOTTOM EDGES OF THE REAR PANEL BEING LONGER THAN THE TOP EDGES SO THAT THE REAR PANEL HAS A FLARING FORM, THE TOP EDGES OF THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS AND INNER SIDE EDGES OF THE PANEL EXTENSIONS BEING CURVED TO DEFINE A CONTINUOUS CURVED NECKLINE, THE LOWER EDGES OF THE FRONT PANELS BEING LONGER THAN THE UPPER EDGES THEREOF, SO THAT THE ENTIRE BODY IS WIDER AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF THAN AT THE NECKLINE. 